Mon 21 April - Chile

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So departures and farewells over we set off from Auckland airport on this great excursion that for the next 12 months will see us traverse 6 continents, 32 countries, 31 flights, travel on 4 cruises, 2 ferries, 3 trains, taxis, public buses, 4-wheel drives, rental cars, camels, donkeys and whatever form of transport we can lay our hands on.

Accommodation along the way, like everything else, will vary from the sublime to the ridiculous. Our expectations are that we will follow the sun and seasons around the globe.

Our first stop, Santiago in Chile. We arrived early in the afternoon after a seemingly uneventful 12 hour flight on Lan Chile. The service and food were up to the usual standard we had come to expect out of New Zealand, and the staff were helpful and polite. Being on an Airbus we were fortunate to have just two seats together on an aisle and window.

When Santiago unfolded before us the mist/fog that seems to hang around as the land warms up, had just started to gather. That still gave us plenty of time to take in a magnificent panoramic view of the city. On first impressions it appears that the flat expanse, that spreads inland from the sea, has its progress prematurely halted by the imposing granduer of the Andes. There was very little snow visible on the peaks, given the summer was just drawing to an end. The surrounding rural areas seemed not unlike the Canterbury plains after a dry winter. The farms and paddocks are marked out in the same defined fashion but are not as uniform.

The weather this time of the year (autumn) is warm and mild, sustaining a long dry season. Temperatures range from 23 - 8.5 degrees C over the day. The winter rains run from May to September with the coolest month being July circa 15 degrees max to 4.5 degrees min.

Santiago, population 4.6million, has quite a modern airport about 30 mins from the city. We took a shuttle bus at $US11 each to our hotel which was in the Providencia district, a smart commercial/residential area about 7 stops on the underground from the CBD. After making comparisons with other suburbs it relates a bit to Newmarket.

As the use of English was generally rare here, we had to rely on basic Spanish (and our trusty phrasebook) to get by. We were fortunate that one of the receptionists at the hotel had spent 5 months in New Zealand, so was able to communicate in our "linga franca'' in order to speed up the check-in details and glean some local information.

After a freshen up, we decided to explore the local area and get our bearings. Given the proximity of office buildings, retail, cafes and restaurants, the population and traffic was dense. On initial reflection, the city looked quite prosperous with smartly dressed commuters and late level cars. The indiginous inhabitants seemed to be a mix of South American indian and Anglo Saxon profiles. Nearly everyone we encountered was pleasant and helpful.

Sometimes you would see the trappings of old Chile with street vendors displaying their wares on the flagstones and entreprenurial beggars (minus legs) soliciting alms from the passing traffic. Other than that, it was pretty much like any major city at the start of a busy workday.

We, first off, had a wander round the shops to gauge the relative prices of comodities, foodstuffs and clothing. Generally, possibly to do with the salary levels, most products appear to be cheaper. Examples - mens sports jackets $350-$400 in Auckland are around 50,000 pesos ($140), shoes (leather, as you would expect) $120-$140 in Auckland 14,000 pesos ($40). Foodstuffs were equally as cheap at 20-25% less than NZ for your average shop.

Dining out was also more affordable, with a main course (steak etc) priced at $10-$15 and the perverbial coffee variant frothed up for $1.50-$2.00, So, all in all, the Chileans seem to enjoy a fine standard of living. I've yet to ascertain salaries and the price of property.

The balance of our arrival day, and the next, was a familiarisation excercise in preparation for our excursions on day three.

The city straddles a narrow fast-flowing river, known as Rio Mapoeno, which, when first viewed leaving the airport, seemed to offer the banks as a repository for rubbish, but as we got nearer the city it did dissipate and give way to stone retaining walls and grass banks. This, as we later found, was an anomally as the metropolitan area was extremely litter-free and serviced by an army of refuse collectors. The Santiago City Council appear to spend a fortune on the maintenance of their parks and gardens. Constant sweeping, manicuring and watering are the order of the day. The municipal service staff get around on mountain bikes and 4-wheel drives and ''shovel-leaning'' would be a capital offence!

We took a suggested couple of walking tours, one up and around the highest natural edifice namely San Cristobal Hill. This mount is shear, and can be seen from anywhere in the city. Travelling through the ''barrio'' known as Bellavista, the arts and crafts area close to the University of Santiago we made a visit to the house of Pablo Neruda (1904-1974), which several locals had strongly recommended. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for literature (poetry) in 1972 and is as revered in Chile as the All Blacks used to be in NZ. We then took the Funicular (cable car) not unlike Wellington's but longer and steeper, to the summit of San Cristobal passing the Metropolitan Zoo half way up. At the top stood the imposing statue of the Madonna - 30 metres of white marble gazing out over the city. This is by far the highest point as all of the surrounding areas are flat. After spending some time at the top we took the Telferico (gondola) down the other side, stopping half way at the massive kidney-shaped swimming pool which was closed for the season, but would imagine is a huge attraction in the summer.

Time to do what the Chileans do for the rest of our time here, subsequent to the sightseeing, and have long leisurely lunches, (classed as the main meal of the day) and out for strolls in the cool (not chilly!) of the evening, savouring a light snack and sampling the local ''vino rosso''.

Generally, we found the city very interesting from an historical and people perspective. The palaces and municipal buildings along with the churches and cathedrals are quite austere. Considering it was a dictatorship the population look well balanced. The military, including the various sections of the police are everywhere and certainly keep a high profile. All are armed, even down to the private security companies. Consequently, the place was very safe and has the lowest crime rate in South America.

We would like to visit here again and maybe take in the seaport of Valpariso, the beaches of Vino del Mar and some vineyards.

Meanwhile, its ''adios'' Chile and ''Hola'' Argentina.

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Comments

[Holly]

Hi guys - hope it is going well (certainly sounds like it!). Dad, I hope you put your 'Notebook Containing South America Facts' away long enough to take some photographs and post them for us to see! Love lots Holly

[Debbie]

missin' yah already!
Sounds like a fab start to the trip and note you took no time in finding the vino! Have a great time! Guess with blogs like this you'll be publishing your first book when you get home! Love from NZ Debs!!